CUHRS and IJV Carleton Statement of Solidarity with Professor Hassan Diab, Condemns Ongoing Slander, Misinformation, and Hate Campaign

The Carleton University Human Rights Society and Independent Jewish Voices Carleton puts out this statement in full support of professor Hassan Diab, who has been subjected to baseless allegations and a targeted hate campaign. Professor Diab has been wrongfully convicted for a hate crime that was committed nearly 45 years ago. Since 2007, he has endured severe legal injustices at the hands of both the French and Canadian governments, as well as targeted persecution and harassment, particularly from pro-Israel and anti-Arab hate groups. These unfounded accusations and smear campaigns not only jeopardize his position as a professor of social justice but also pose serious risks to his safety and that of his loved ones. This statement seeks to explain Professor Diab’s story without falling to the ongoing misinformation campaign and to demand his protection from unjust legal actions and institutional negligence.

On October 3, 1980, a tragic bombing near the synagogue on Rue Copernic in Paris claimed several lives in what was an unmistakable antisemitic attack. Initially, authorities suspected Spanish neo-Nazis but soon shifted their focus to Hassan Diab and the Palestinian Liberation Front. This pivot occurred despite substantial evidence demonstrating that Diab was in Lebanon at the time, taking university exams, and the fact that the so-called “evidence” linking him to the attack has been repeatedly discredited as inaccurate, unreliable, or outright false.

Diab first learned of these accusations in 2007, not through official channels but via a journalist, marking the beginning of a prolonged ordeal over a crime he had no prior knowledge of, let alone committed. In 2008, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested him, and he was detained as extradition proceedings dragged on. Carleton University did not offer its support then, and fired Dr. Diab. 

Despite glaring flaws in the evidence, he was extradited to France in 2014. After nearly four years in a French prison, and an immense amount of international solidarity, the case was thrown out due to insufficient evidence. In 2018, Diab returned to Canada, where he has since rebuilt his life and was offered a tenure with Carleton University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

However, in 2023, in Diab’s absence, the French government once again convicted him of terrorism and sentenced him to life in prison, ignoring the overwhelming proof of his innocence. Here in Canada, and even on our campus, Diab continues to face a vicious hate campaign fuelled by groups like Rebel News and CIJA, which have called for his removal from his position as a professor. These campaigns are not driven by a genuine pursuit of justice for the victims of the bombing but are deeply rooted in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism.

We, the members of the Carleton University Human Rights Society and Independent Jewish Voices Carleton, demand that the Executive Committee of Carleton University take immediate and decisive action to protect Professor Hassan Diab and combat the spread of misinformation and hate. Specifically:

1. Carleton must prohibit any group from spreading slanderous claims or falsely accusing Professor Diab of terrorism on campus. These allegations, as outlined above, are baseless and harmful.

2. Carleton must ensure that Professor Diab retains his position as a professor and is not subjected to dismissal due to pressure from hate-driven groups.

3. The university must take proactive measures to protect Professor Diab and his family from harassment, ensuring their safety and well-being amidst these ongoing threats.

Professor Hassan Diab’s case is a stark reminder of the dangers of injustice and the power of hateful rhetoric. We urge the Administration to stand firmly against these injustices and uphold its commitment to human rights and academic freedom.

Statements of Support

• Canada – Amnesty International, and the Hassan Diab case appeal

• France – Resumption of baseless and flawed Hassan Diab prosecution undermines effective justice for victims of 1980 synagogue bomb attack

• Association of United Ukrainian Canadians

• Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) urges Canada to prevent Hassan Diab extradition to France

• CCLA – Justice for Dr. Hassan Diab

• Canadian Labour Congress - Letter to PM Trudeau

• Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4600 - Letter to PM Trudeau

• Faculty at Carleton University's Department of Sociology and Anthropology deplore dismissal of Dr. Hassan Diab

• Carleton University Department of Sociology and Anthropology (SOCANTH) – Justice for our colleague Dr. Hassan Diab

• Independent Jewish Voices Statement On Deportation Of Dr. Hassan Diab

• Canadian and French Jewish Groups Stand with Hassan Diab

• International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) Appalled at Guilty Decision Against Dr. Diab, Calls for No New Extradition, April 21, 2023

• Jewish Faculty Network Statement in support of Dr. Hassan Diab, April 28, 2023

• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling on the Canadian Government to refuse extradition request for Dr. Hassan Diab, July 28, 2023

• More Information: https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org